


Illumination

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-10
Updated: 2006-03-10
Packaged: 2019-02-02 12:16:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12726450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: A nervous Daniel answers Jack's summons to his office.





	Illumination

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Thanks to my Beta, Gateroller!  


* * *

Here I am standing outside his door, my hand reaching towards the handle which I can't quite make myself open. I look at my hand with a scientist's detachment and realise its shaking, just a little but enough to be noticeable. I flex it, trying to control my nerves as much as my hand. I raise my eyes to the door, imagining Jack sitting at his desk waiting for me.

His message had been short and to the point - "Daniel, would you come to my office? There's something we have to talk about." - each word pounding in my head like waves upon the rocks. Why was I afraid to face him? He already knew the worst and he hadn't come stamping into my office, red-faced and angry or white-faced and upset.

Standing here wasn't solving anything. Taking a deep breath I reached out and opened the door.

He looked up from his seat behind the desk. I hadn't been in his office that often, he normally came and pestered me in mine. He hated paperwork and usually only came down here to his office when the General had had enough and demanded he catch up. So, looking around now, I was surprised to see everything in nice, neat tidy piles. The only piece of paper in front of him was a sheet of yellow legal paper.

_My_ sheet of paper.

* * *

He's standing there looking nervous, eyes darting everywhere until they finally fall on the piece of paper. I decide he needs putting at his ease before we can go any further so I stand and indicating the chair across from me, I say calmly, "Sit down, Daniel."

I move around from my desk and close the door as he sits down. I look up just to make sure the camera is off, one of the perks of being 2IC of the base.

I turn around, lean against the door and watch him sitting stiffly in his chair, eyes glued to the page, to the note I ought never to have seen. I have to make him understand that I'm glad he'd made the mistake, that to me it was serendipity. I decided I liked that word, the way it rolled off the tongue. I smile to myself, Daniel had influenced me more than either of us realised.

"Er, Jack?" he said, sounding puzzled. Damn I'd allowed myself to drift and he'd turned in his seat to look at me. Probably my self-indulgent smile had confused him. "You wanted to see me ...about ...?"

Time to beard the lion in his den; okay my den but what the hell.

"About the note. Sorry, I couldn't help but read it. As soon as I read it I realised..."

"You don't have to worry about it," he interrupted hastily, "I'd never have said anything and as far as I'm concerned ...if you could just forget about it..." his voice faded and he nibbled his lower lip.

He always did that when he was nervous. I'd seen it for years but this time I couldn't take my eyes from his mouth. I had this sudden vision of my teeth nibbling on that tempting lip.

Taking a breath to steady myself, I asked, "Is that what you really want, Daniel? For me to forget it?" I walked forward slowly, lifting my gaze from his mouth to his eyes. "To forget that you love me?"

~~~

Oh God, walking here I believed everything would be okay, suddenly I wondered if I had finally crossed a line he wouldn't be able to forgive.

He was moving towards me and I couldn't stay in my seat, I needed to face him on my feet so I rose to meet him, my gaze locked with his and I sucked in a breath.

There was no possibility that I could look away, no way that I _wanted_ to. There was something in his eyes I'd never seen there before and it set my heart racing and the blood thundering in my ears.

He was so close now that when he spoke next I could feel each warm breath gusting over my face.

"Do you want me to forget that I love you too?" he asked huskily.

I gasped at that, feeling my eyes go wide and my mouth drop open. _He loved me, he LOVED me!_

"You ...love me?" I stammered.

"Yes, I do," he said, his expression suddenly serious, "and I'm sorry I didn't have the guts to tell you before. Your ...mistake ...your happy accident," he smiled and I felt my heart swell, "made me ponder what the hell I'd been doing all this time."

I frowned, _all this time?_

"I've been in love with you for ...God I don't even know how long for, it snuck up on me unawares," he said softly.

He's _been_ in love with me...? Damn how much time have we let slip by? Why did I never even realise how I felt until today? Nothing new had occurred and yet somehow my whole life changed in one magical moment.

"I never said anything," he continued wistfully, "I was a coward but you were so wrapped up in your own problems and the time never seemed right. The more time passed the more I withdrew behind a wall of rules and regulations, telling myself that it couldn't be. I realise now I was just afraid that you wouldn't return my feelings."

"The regulations!" I exclaimed. Shit, I'd forgotten what this could cost Jack. I couldn't let him risk that, not for me.

* * *

"Damn them!" I declared. "I've let them rule my life. There's a time and place for obedience and control but not this time...not this time," I finished softly.

"You'd do that, for _me?_ " he breathed.

I closed the tiny span of space still separating us, cautiously reaching out to touch his cheek, giving him the opportunity to pull back if he wished.

"I'd do anything for you," I said softly.

He sighed and leaned into the caress, twisting a little to kiss the palm of my hand. "So much wasted time," he murmured, staring deeply into my eyes, telling me without words that he would waste no more.

"No more," I whispered, replying to his unspoken vow.

Then I heard heavy footsteps outside the door and dropped my hand. He stared at me, looking lost.

"Not here," I said softly. "We can't talk properly here, let's go home."

He smiled. "I think maybe I am home."

FIN


End file.
